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Kraken Base
Kraken Base,Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar''Playable Half-Life 2 Beta files or simply '''Kraken',Playable Half-Life 2 Beta files is a location and chapter cut from Half-Life 2. It was to be set between the Borealis and Weather Control chapters, being the first location of the third day.Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar Overview Background Kraken Base was originally a rebel scientific base located beneath the sea,Helena Mossman says in the playable Half-Life 2 Beta sound files "Welcome to Kraken Base, Dr. Freeman, our home beneath the sea." Sound files also have Odell talking about an "ice station in that place underneath us", whatever this sentence was to be said by Odell on the Borealis or in the submarine. The sea might be partially frozen. in the Arctic regions north-west of City 17, and headed by Helena Mossman.She refers to herself as "Kraken's director" in the playable Half-Life 2 Beta sound files. Several people (rebels or other scientists) were probably to be there with her, including Vortigaunts.WC mappack The original teleportation sequence *As heard in the dialogue files found in the playable ''Half-Life 2'' Beta sound files, the teleportation sequence at the start of Half-Life 2 was originally to be much different and much longer.Playable Half-Life 2 Beta files **Kleiner and Barney, located at Kleiner's Lab with Gordon, and Helena Mossman, located at Kraken Base, were to discuss the best place to send Gordon, in a dialogue much longer than in the retail version (where several sentences survived, even though they were rerecorded), and not including Alyx. **After the team agrees that Eli's facilities are too primitive to make use of Gordon, being, according to Mossman, more suited to mechanics than research scientists, and that its teleport is in pieces, therefore not working, and that the only way to reach the place would be to go on foot through the dangerous Canals, Mossman suggests to send Gordon to Kraken Base instead, and by teleportation. Kleiner seems hesitant about it, while Barney expresses even more doubts in very pessimist remarks. While Kleiner pretends without much faith to be sure about the reliability of his equipment, Mossman is very determined, since she says to have run seven sequences without a single failure. **While the teleporation is being prepared, Gordon must do his part to set things up. Then the teleportation begins, and Barney thinks it is the best time to mention the issues about the cat they used for the previous test, saying that he had to turn the animal right side out again to make sure it was a cat (kept in the retail version for Alyx's teleportation, but minus the explanation), thus providing the information missing from the retail version. The teleportation then succeeds, and Mossman is able to introduce herself to Gordon and compliment him when he is still in the teleport instead of releasing him right away. At Kleiner's Lab, Lamarr jumps into the teleport like in the retail version, disrupting the connection between the two teleports and bringing back Gordon behind a window near Kleiner's Lab (like in the retail version) and damaging both teleports. **It is also suggested by Barney's sentences that something happens to Kleiner, dying or being hurt and left unconscious, since he ceases to talk after he approaches the teleport, worried by Lamarr's fate. The failure having blown their cover and the lab's roof about to cave in, Gordon finds himself forced to journey to Eli's lab on foot. Barney leads him to the Canals, where the next chapter begins, and leaves at some point, like in the retail version.Playable Half-Life 2 Beta files Actual visit of the base Gordon was finally to reach Kraken Base much later in the game.The WC mappack maps for Kraken Base are very empty and quite incomplete. No teleport can be found. It was likely to be much smaller than Kleiner's teleport, which would not fit there. He was to hear a distress call from there on the Borealis and then reach it in a submarine, apparently with Odell. There they would encounter Mossman, at last.Playable Half-Life 2 Beta filesWC mappackHalf-Life 2: Raising the Bar''While no submarine is present in any of the Borealis maps, ''Raising the Bar indicates Kraken Base to be the next location, while the Kraken WC mappack maps feature a small submarine brush located in the only possible entrance (other than teleportation) to the base. It is unknown what happens there and what happens to Odell and Mossman. It is likely that some battle takes place, according to the distress call heard on the Borealis, stating that Kraken Base is "in serious trouble". Sound files featuring what seems to be distant gunshots can also be foundPlayable Half-Life 2 Beta files, while map scripts suggest it was infested by Zombies and therefore Headcrabs.WC mappack The atmosphere of the completed maps could have been similar to that of the Borealis chapter, but perhaps gloomier, given the claustrophobic and heavily isolated nature of a submarine station, especially under siege, in the vein of movies such as Alien, Abyss or Sphere. Another battle was to take place in the next chapter, the Combine Weather Control, that the player was to reach on foot, while it is unknown how the escape from Kraken Base was to be done. Fate The most recent Kraken Base maps has been last edited in August 2001, meaning it was cut quite early in the development process - and these maps were only prototypes, hence their prefix "proto". While the most complete map is quite big, it is also rather empty, and nor Odell, Mossman, the teleport or any enemy can be found.WC mappack Kraken Base is part of the storyline set between Nova Prospekt and the City 17 street wars that was completely cut, the game timespan having been reduced to three days instead of the original four. It might however having been brought back into the Half-Life canon: in Episode One, a message shows Mossman talking about a "site" from a concrete corridor attacked by Overwatch Elite soldiers, then this message must be brought to White Forest in Episode Two. It is possible that this place where Mossman is talking from is some sort of recycled Kraken Base, the "site" likely being the Borealis. While Kleiner and Eli have their own attributed location and that Mossman's was cut, it is probable that she will finally have hers in Episode Three. Gallery These are screenshots of a fixed prototype map of Kraken Base, "proto_deep002b". It is less dark than the original map (but the light coming from the ocean was left unchanged), and more props, water, steam, Odell and Mossman were added, as well as icebergs outside. File:Helena Mossman.jpg|Helena Mossman. File:Proto deep002b fixed0002.jpg|The submarine. File:Proto deep002b fixed0006.jpg|At the top of the first ladder. File:Proto deep002b fixed0007.jpg|Dark corridor, with ocean light. File:Proto deep002b fixed0039.jpg|Wide corridor. File:Proto deep002b fixed0025.jpg|Small room, with ocean light. File:Proto deep002b fixed0063.jpg|Bent corridor. File:Proto deep002b fixed0037.jpg|Dark shaft. File:Proto deep002b fixed0031.jpg|Same shaft. File:Proto deep002b fixed0032.jpg|The same shaft from upstairs. File:Proto deep002b fixed0017.jpg|Typical corridor inside Kraken Base. File:Proto deep002b fixed069.jpg|Bigger corridor. File:Proto deep002b fixed0046.jpg|Same corridor. File:Proto deep002b fixed0047.jpg|Maintenance area under the previous corridor. File:Proto deep002b fixed071.jpg|Wide corridor, with ocean light. File:Proto deep002b fixed0022.jpg|Toilets. File:Proto deep002b fixed0055.jpg|Judith Mossman added in the big room at the end of the journey through the map. File:Pyrotechnic locker.png|"Pyrotechnic locker" door texture. The lockers, found around the base, are used to store Flare Guns. List of appearances *''Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar'' Notes and references See also *Half-Life 2 original storyline#Kraken Base External links *Map based on the Kraken Base concept for Garry's Mod (made from scratch; requires Episode Two) Category:Cut Locations Category:Arctic locations Category:Half-Life 2 Beta Category:Resistance locations Category:Locations